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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Commissar(e, Commisser, n. Also: commissair, comissar, -isar(e, -iser, -yser, -eser; comishar, -er. [Med. L. commissarius, F. commissaire, ME. commissarie (14th c.).]

1. A commissary; a delegate or representative, esp. one having an official position. 1386 Rotuli Sc. II. 85/2.
That the commissairs of bathe partys sall mete … at place accordable betwene the wardeins 1405 James of Douglas Letter to Henry IV in Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 59.
Redresse to be made be his commissaris & yhouris of all attemptatis done of aythir syde 1456 Hay II. 153/10.
Gif it befell that, on nede, thé behufit mak certane commissaris, mak na lesse na thre 1485 Acts II. 171/2.
The said commisseris sal thairfor desire at … the paip to put silence to the said personis barraturis a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 34.
My cousing Quintene and my commissar Ib. 329.
Pas to my commissar, and be confest 1509 Reg. Privy S. I. 285/1.
Dischargeing his ballies, commissaris of his forest courtis, or currouris of his said forest … of the takyn of ony entreis in the said steding 1526 Carnwath Baron Ct. 30 b.
Thomas Howeson said in iugement that thair is ane fals sentens gyffin aganis him … be the commissare 1537 Reg. Privy S. II. 381/2.
Galter, abbot of Glenluce, commissar generale of the ordour of Cistercian 1549 Treas. Acc. IX. 358.
To ane commissair send witht the Franchemen to se thame luget 1552 Reg. Privy C. I. 130.
Before the schereff, bailyeis, capitennis and commissaris 1596 Dalr. II. 161/9.
A place … mast quyet to treit of al materis betuene the realmes, and nerrest to the commisseris Ib. 355/5.
The Quene … thocht verie necessar that commissaris conuinet to mak peice betuein the realmes

2. A representative in Parliament. 1427 Acts II. 15/1.
Swa that of ilk shirefdome thare be sende … twa or ma wismen … the quhilk salbe callit commissaris of the schire, and be thir commissaris … sal be chosyn … the common spekar of the parliament

3. A representative of a burgh at the annual convention of burghs. 1425 Acts I. Pref. xix.
Alsua the commissaris of the burovys … has tane in hand … to mak the first payment of our lorde the kingis finance 1439 Acts II. 55/1.
Androw Rede, burges and commissare of Inuernes 1440 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 193.
Iames of Parklee … and Maister Iohne of Cadiou, commissaris of borowes 1483 Conv. Burghs I. 543.
Thir ar the names of the burghis beyond Forth … , and the taxt of the samen modifiit be the commissaris of burghs … at Edinburgh 1487 Acts II. 179.
That ȝerely in tyme to cum certane commissaris of all burrowis baith south and north convene … in the burgh of Inuerkethin 1500 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 86.
It is … ordanit, in this court of parliament of foure borrowis, be my Lord Chalmerlane, and with avys of his assessouris and commissairis of borrowis, that … 1534 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 67.
It is auisit … with the commissaris of the burrois of Dundie [etc.] … that all the burrois … sall send thair commissaris to this toun 1552 Conv. Burghs I. .
Convenit in the Tolbuith of Edinburgh the prouestis and commissaris of the borrois of this realme following 1574 Ib. 29.
The saidis commissaris takand the bourding vpoun thame, for thame selues and thair burrowis 1612 Conv. Burghs II. 346.
The samine lands are possessit be the persons underwrittin, … videlicet … be Eduart Forrester commiser ane skair

4. A deputy appointed by a bishop or other ecclesiastical dignitary to act for him in judicial or legal matters. 1474 Acta Aud. 34/1.
Maister Johne Mosset commissare of Dunblane 1488 Acta Conc. 88/2.
Ane act of the commissaris of Sanctandres, subscrivit be the hande of maister Johne Boner clerk of the sammyn 1493 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 212.
The saidis assisowris of perambulacione … sworne tharto … in presens of the Kyngs justice or his deput, the Bischop of Murray or his commissar 1511 Ib. III. 108.
Your Lordschipe man … writt to the commissar of Aberdene to essolye the man 1516 Reg. Privy S. I. 441/2.
The said commissare, dene Thomas Fasyntoun, with his adjunct abbot or monk 1544 Ib. III. 92/1.
Schir Mawnis Vaus, commissar of Invernes 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1120.
Schir Persone, ȝe sall be my commissair, To put this mater till executioun 1555 Crim. Trials I. 378.
Comperit alsua Sir William Bannatyne, chaplane, as commissar to the Archebischope of Glasgw

5. A civil diocesan official taking the place of the former ecclesiastical deputy.On the establishment of these, and the matters coming under their jurisdiction, see Erskine Inst. i. v. § § 26–31.(a) 1568 Douglas Chart. 265.
That this contrak be regestrat in the beukis of our souerane lordis consall, commessaris beukis [etc.] 1609 Peebles B. Rec. 75.
To discharge the office of ane commissar within the boundis of Teviotdaill, Liddisdaill, Tweddaill and vtheris boundis 1616–7 Miscell. Spald. C. V. 95.
For carying ane letter to the commissar concerning the planting of M^r William Forbes, minister, at this burgh 1622-6 Bisset II. 63/10.
That the commissaris salbe iudges to all contractis … quhereunto the commissaris auctoritie is interponed a1646 Spotisw. Practicks 38.
A commissar may transfer his own decreet given before himself 1649 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 94.
The counsall ordanit the act of parliament, anent the transplantatioun of the comissar, to be registrat in the counsell buiks 1660 Sutherland Corr. 181.
Yow knowe what ane aweband it will be on the popell to hawe ane stranger commissar of this shyre 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. ii. i. § .
With us the Justices have only a criminal jurisdiction, the Lords of Session and Commissars, a meerly civil jurisdiction(b) 1568 Waus Corr. I. 43.
For affirmacione of this compremissioun boyth the saidis parteis ar contentit the samin be inscherit in the commiseris, or scherefis, buikis c 1575 Ib. 104.
The commisser is to pronunce ane decreit aganis me and my tenentis tueching certane byrovn teyndis 1586 Wemyss Corr. 104.
I am sowmond afor the commyseris 1622-6 Bisset II. 92/9.
The commisseris ar nocht iudges to airschip geir 1633 Lithgow Poet. Rem. 112.
In comes Lord Commisser, and he protests For clyents and decreets 1661 Carnegie Lett. & Chart. 351.
Remember my service … to … Sir Peter Watherburne and the Comisher 1675 Inverness Presb. 334.
To haw … recourse to the comishers for a divorce

b. With addition of a place-name. 1567 Stewart Mem. 102.
The saidis Iames and Iames Stewartis sall act thame in the Commissaris buikis of Dunkeld for payment … of the saidis sowmis c 1580 Liber Dryburgh 363.
The wiccarech of the same kyrk set to the Comeser of Lauder 1581 Reg. Privy C. III. 342.
The provest … and communitie of the citie of Sanctandrois, Maister William Skene, commissar thairof [etc.] 1618 Haddington Corr. 135.
The bisschop be his seruand, the comiser of Caithnes, hes [etc.] a1646 Spotisw. Practicks 39.
Turnbull having obtained a decreet … before the commissar of Peebles 1649 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 94.
The counsall … taking to thair consideratioun that the Commissar of Abirden hes his seat of justice within ane village callit Old Aberdein [etc.] 1665 Brechin Test. VI. 306 b.
Iames Nicolsone, advocat, Comissar of Brechine, appointed for confirmatione of testaments within the boundis of the dyocies of the comissariot thairof 1673 Bamff Chart. 331.
Ane decreitt of absolvitour obteined befoir the comissar of Dunkeld 1684 Elgin Rec. II. 314.
David Stewart of Newtoune, comissar of Murray, petitioned the session that the accommodation aloted to him in the … church [etc.]

c. Commissaris of Edinburgh, the four members of the commissary court established in 1564. 1567 Acts III. 33/2.
Anent the artikle proponit be the Commissaris of Edinburgh, beirand that thair is diuers and sindrie beneficiall actiouns depending befoir thame, vpon the rycht & propirtie of the beneficis 1622-6 Bisset I. 272/15.
As the commisseris of Edinburgh hes power … to reduce the decreittis wranguslie gevin be all inferioure commisseris a1646 Spotisw. Practicks 38.
All reductions of sentences given by inferior commissars, or by the commissars of Edinburgh, … should be pursued within year and day 1665-76 Lauder Journal 226.
In the beginning of Iune 1676 died M^r Iames Aikenhead, on of the comisars of Edinburgh

6. The commissary of a military force. 1640 Kirkcudbright Min. Bk. 75.
The Committie ordaines Barquhillantie … to be answerable to the Commissar Depute 1644 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 26.
Sic soumes of money as John Denholme, commissar of the said armie, hes receauit … for the vse thairof 1640 Acts V. 320/2.
The committie of the estaittis … elected Mr Alexander Gibsone … to be general commisser of the haill kingdome of Scotland and of all the forceis, armeis, regiments [etc.] 1689 Acts XII. 71/2.
That commissars be appoynted to make magazines of provisiones for horse meat

7. Attrib. (in sense 5) with buik, clerk. 1565 Reg. Soltre 127.
That Maister George Portewis … be actit souertie … in the buikis of Counsale or Commissar Buiks of Edinburch 1646 Grant Chart. 241.
I am content … that thir presenttis be insert [and] registrat in the bookis of Counsell and Sessione, schireffe or commissar buikis 1668 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. II. 478.
That thir presents be insert and registrat in the … shireff, comissar or borrow books of Inuernes — 1604 Edinb. Test. 92 b.
Sebastiane Davillour, burges of Edinburgh, sumtyme commissar clerk thairof 1695 Peebles B. Rec. II. 149.
Robert Patersone, commissar-clerk 1704 Ib. 172.
Iames Brotherstaines, late commiser clark in Peebles